INKtober 2016, Day 26!

INKtober 2016, Day 26: Herculephon
8x10 Staedtler Mars Graphic 3000 duo on Kona Classic artist paper

Some of you may remember Herculephon! He's an old college assignment from my 2011 Cleanup Workshop class. I spiffed him up and now he's bright and shiny again.

There's a major error in his wing structure: primary feathers do not fold behind the secondaries while resting. All the reason I need to make an even better version! Usually I'm good about using reference.

Sketchbook page (left) drawn May 25, 2015; tracing paper cleanup drawn May 31.

Quick Lumocolor trace-over made to combat Kona paper's opaqueness.

I used my light box to keep the proportions of the older sketches. Sometimes I miss cleanup animation - even though I developed a Pavlovian response to working on animation tables: I'd start to fall asleep!

INKtober 2016, Day 5!

INKtober 2016, Day 5: Pudgikins!
6x8 Pentel Color Brush on Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper

Introducing Pudgikins, the Hummingbird-Housecat Gryphon! She is a mischievous bundle of sweets-craving energy. Felt good to use my Pentel Color Brush again; the poor thing is neglected.

Sketchbook page from September 16th / 17th.

30 Day Art Challenge, Day 25!

Day 25: Draw someone or something from mythology.

Brushing up on my character design skills with some gryphons. I referenced older drawings: Gryphons, Kitty-Loaf, and Humraptor!

Gryphons are my go-to fantasy critter these days. Drawn with a Staedtler Mars Graphic 3000 Duo brush pen.

Gryphons!

^ More gryphons! Having fun with shapes.

Digital backlog: cute gryphon and more!

^ Quick PS sketch of a cute gryphon I want to develop as a character.

I'll be sure to play around with proportions and exaggeration!

^ January 23 digital sketch of Ezthlitofett, based off a 2005 drawing. 

^ One more of Ezthlitofett, based off a 2009 sketch.

^ Clothing variation practice. Unfortunately, 10 was neglected.

^ Abstract collage inspired by a conceptart.org exercise.

^ Uglee the cheshire cat. Sketchbook page with some digital paints.

Gotta keep practicing!

Sketchbook_Creatura Pages 49 - 60 DONE!

Creatura is DONE! I'm ready to move on to my next Bee Paper Super Deluxe sketchbook, a 6" x 12" I'll likely dub Creatura 2.

Seen here are more sketches of my personal fantasy characters, namely Bobbin (the little cat guy), Silverclaw (the gryphon), Tretzanis (the god of discord), Ezthlitofett (the big dog warrior), and Obsidian Magmathroat (the dragon). I've had a penchant for giving my characters unpronounceable names since I was a kid. At least Bobbin, Silverclaw, and Obsidian have it easy as far as introductions are concerned.

Everything else comprises on-a-whim ideas and a bit of oddball humor.

Herculean gryphon: model sheet!

^ The model sheet was assigned before the final animation; it was challenging and engaging.

Herculephon's expressions don't match the Hercules style as well as the main pose does (or gets very close to matching), but they were fun to make.

Herculean gryphon: cleanup frames!

^ Cleanup frames for 1, 5, 11, and 13.

Za told me that this is one of my best pieces yet, so I will definitely clean up the remaining frames and reshoot the animation sometime soon!

Herculean gryphon: animation frames!

^ It's been a while since my gryphon graced this blog, but here he is again, showing his run cycle frames.

Herculean gryphon: blacked!

^ Hopefully this blacked drawing is a notch closer to hitting the style.

Did this in 309 today; there was a class listed for the nighttime slot, but no one showed up. Enjoyed quiet concentration and worked for a bit over an hour cleaning up the construction on a new sheet of paper and then blacking it.

I drafted my graphic novel page of Lily versus Decay yesterday. The final will be on 11" x 17" smooth bristol. It's going to be awesome.

Herculean gryphon progress!

^ Yesterday's progress in adapting the gryphon into the Hercules style. Allyson gave me some pointers on the third drawing to bring more of the style in.

After the fourth drawing, Za intervened to help me better understand the style's conventions. By my fifth drawing - following her corrections - I had gotten fairly close; still needs some tweaks to nail the style.

Matching styles is a lot more difficult than it first appears to be, and it proved challenging and engaging. I took only a couple breaks during class.